Environmental educator
Huon Valley, Tasmania
Heather Elson
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environmental Photography
The photographic image is a great way to raise awareness around topics you are passionate about. Lucky for fungi they are very photogenic and hopefully sharing their beauty will help conserve and have people appreciate their important role in our ecosystems and culture. Below is a selection of some of my favourite Tasmanian fungi photos taken in wet schlerophyll forest on my 9 acre property in southern Tasmania. The equipment used is a bottom of the range digital Nikon D40x camera accompanied by an original model Nikon 105mm AF macro lense.
All images are taken with natural lighting, with the aid of a tripod and remote shutter release.
Post production: Some images are created using image stacking, and basic retouching is applied (tonality, colour and sharpening) in Photoshop with an Eizo colour calibrated monitor.
My aim is for these images to help encourage your interest in our environment and fungi!
Biography
Heather Elson [aka Franklin Hermit], loves to share her passion for fungi
and the environment through photography and education. She guest
speaks, organises fungi events and helps promote the work of scientists.
Along with writing the occasional fungi article, Heather runs the
Huon Valley Fungi Club on Facebook and is also an Admin for the TasFungi
website and TasFungi Facebook group.
Heather worked for Australian natural history photographer, Steve Parish OAM, identifying the flora and fauna featured in his beautiful imagery, learnt about photography, and was his Environmental Officer integrating environmental sustainability measures into his publishing business.
More recently, she received a photography scholarship to photograph a portion of the 2000 fungi type specimens held at the Mycology Herbarium in Orange, NSW along with being selected to create the Tasmanian Fungi in a Box educational kit for the worldwide Museum in a Box project.
A perfect day is spent scrambling over mossy logs on her 9 acre property in the Huon Valley in search of fungi, whilst having witty conversations with Currawongs and Lyrebirds.
Heather has a degree in Environmental Science and is studying towards a Master of Information Studies.
Education
In 2019 the non-profit educational Museum in a Box organisation provided me with one of their innovative STEM educational kits to create the Tasmanian Fungi in a Box - an interactive learning kit for children which is available for free download. Click here to read more
In 2018 I was fortunate to be awarded a photographic scholarship to photograph a portion of the 2000 fungi type specimens held within the NSW Department of Primary industries Plant Pathology and Mycology herbarium Click here to read more
Wasted
Exhibition
In 2018 a series of lights made from recycling thousands of locally sourced plastic lids was created for display and sustainability education.
Cygnet Library
Community Garden Project
Working alongside other volunteers to create an innovative community garden project incorporating literacy, environmental sustainability and community art. Click here to read more
